Effects of Postexsanguination Dehairing on the Microbial Load and Visual Cleanliness of Beef Carcasses.

Ten grain-fed steers or heifers were selected to be dehaired at slaughter, while another 10 cattle (of the same kind) were slaughtered and dressed without dehairing. The carcasses of these animals were evaluated for bacterial contamination (aerobic plate count [APC], total coliform count [TCC], Escherichia coli biotype I, and count and presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes ) after sampling from the brisket, flank, and inside round at each of three sites (after dehiding, after evisceration, and after final carcass washing).